MORE BELGIAN SURREALISM: Heavily armed soliders chatting away at the Purple Rose bar near the Grand Place — spotted in the early hours of the morning; soldiers publicly consulting paper maps to figure out where they needed to patrol instead of keeping watch — spotted Tuesday morning. But perhaps Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders takes the cake for telling ABC News that actually it’s shopping centers (which have been mostly open, and repeatedly listed as allowed to open by the Belgian Crisis Center), not the metro and schools (which have been closed) that are suspected terror targets.

CATCH MY PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH US NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO ON HOW BELGIUM BECAME EUROPE’S SOFT UNDERBELLY FOR TERROR:http://wbur.fm/1XdsjLo

BRUSSELS OBSERVATION OF THE DAY: A well-placed diplomatic source says, “This terror alert really highlights the disconnect between Brussels as the de facto capital of Europe and Brussels as capital of Belgium.” The EU plays no role in how Brussels is administered or projects itself to the world, a fact that highlights limited EU power and influence, and which has allowed Belgian security standards to wallow.

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EU INTRIGUE — TUSK TO MEET EU AMBASSADORS FOR FIRST TIME: Jacopo Barigazzi writes that European Council President Donald Tusk will attend his first working dinner with EU ambassadors, following criticism he hasn’t done enough to play the Brussels diplomatic game. http://politi.co/1jiFAj9

TODAY IS DAY FOR ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: Did you know? One in three women has been a victim of physical and/or sexual violence. Up to half of women in European Union countries experience forms of sexual harassment at their workplace. Trade unions will be particularly active on the issue today and the European Commission has issued a strongly worded statement, pointing to gender-based violence as a key reason women are seeking refuge in Europe today: “This violence constitutes a blatant violation of human rights and gender discrimination that blights every country in Europe and worldwide.” The Berlaymont building will be lit up orange in support of this campaign.

NATO EMERGENCY MEETING — DOWNING OF RUSSIAN PLANE: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging all parties to take urgent measures to de-escalate tensions after Turkey shot down one of two Russian planes it says entered its airspace. I hear that NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg chose to wait until hearing U.S. President Barack Obama and French President François Hollande address media in Washington before announcing results of the NATO meeting.

DID THE RUSSIAN JET ENTER RUSSIAN AIRSPACE? According to Turkish radar data, yes, but only for a few seconds, assuming the information is correct. Associated Press reports that Turkey has written to the United Nations explaining the planes violated Turkish airspace “to a depth of 1.36 miles and 1.15 miles in length for 17 seconds” just after 9:24 a.m. This information contradicts Russia’s claims that the jet never entered Turkish airspace, and suggests a very small window for the ten claimed warnings from Turkey’s side. We will be hearing a lot more about these contrary claims today. http://bit.ly/1PN43eG

WIDER CONTEXT: Several nations have repeatedly made claims about Russian incursions or near-incursions into their territory and airspace over the last year — never mind the Crimean occupation. Here is a relevant POLITICO article from June on Greek complaints, http://politi.co/1lg1Jjl, and a graph showing Russia’s violations: https://i.imgur.com/CKh0VcX.jpg

ANALYSIS — THIS IS CALCULATED; ERDOĞAN SHOOTS DOWN PUTIN: “The Turks could have pretended the whole thing was an accident while assuming that Putin got the message. Instead Ankara chose to make today’s incident a public rebuke and humiliation for the Kremlin, a palpable act of hostility between nations and, indeed, between power blocs, for Erdoğan quickly called a meeting with NATO brass.” It also means in Erdoğan’s case: “He has totally overcome any residual resistance from the armed forces.” Melik Kaylan writes in POLITICO: http://politi.co/1T1lTbT

ANALYSIS FROM STEFANO STEFANINI: The Italian former uber-diplomat and NATO ambassador, now a La Stampa scribe, says this was “an incident waiting to happen” and “shows that Turkey (or Iran and Saudi Arabia for that matter) can’t be left out of the decision-making process over Syria. The times when Moscow, Washington and European capitals could make decisions and make them stick is over.” Statements by Obama and Hollande were “a brave attempt to stay the course and get Russia on board of anti-ISIS alliance.”

On Putin Stefanini believes “the Russians are furious, but Erdoğan and Putin are pragmatists.” And the killer punch: “It’s about time NATO start talking about Syria and ISIS: What about having a discussion in NATO-Russia Council?” If NATO can’t be more than an anti-Russia front, Stefanini asks, “what do we need it for?”

Italian Lega Nord politician Roberto Calderoli takes the same line as Russia’s Sputnik News: that Turkey has entered the war on ISIL’s side

Yle: “Wallström, Soini worried by shooting of Russian jet: Commenting on Turkey’s downing of a Russian military plane on its border with Syria, the Finnish foreign minister noted that there is the risk of such serious events if there are many operators in the same area without proper coordination.”

PARIS LATEST — ABAAOUD WAS PLANNING PARIS BUSINESS DISTRICT ATTACK: “Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the organizer of the November 13 terror attacks in Paris, was planning to detonate himself together with an accomplice in the city’s business center La Défense on November 18 or 19, French prosecutor François Molins said Tuesday night.”Pierre Briançon reports: http://politi.co/1YsDahP

PARIS LATEST – FRONTEX CHIEF THE LATEST TO SAY ‘DON’T BLAME ME’: In Le Parisien, EU border agency director Fabrice Leggeri says his agency isn’t in any way responsible for the Paris attacks because it’s basically powerless. He said Frontex tried to gain access to personal data shared among national police forces, but was denied. http://bit.ly/1TdqPuU

PARIS BY THE NUMBERS: 1,233 police searches, 165 arrests, and 266 house arrests have been carried out under France’s state of emergency.

FRANCE TOPS GLOBAL TOURISM RANKINGS — THAT’S NOW THE PROBLEM: France lures more foreign tourists than any other country, meaning the economy is now vulnerable to a hit, thanks to the publicity and fears generated by the Paris attacks. http://bit.ly/21cJw7j

OBAMA AND HOLLANDE TEAM UP ON PASSENGER NAME RECORDS: I’m betting the Elysée Palace popped a few champagne corks after reading this Obama comment about “a growing recognition among European nations that they need to ramp up additional efforts to prevent the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. As part of that, I’m calling on the European Union to finally implement the agreement that’s been long in the works that would require airlines to share passenger information, so we can do more to stop foreign terrorist fighters from entering our countries undetected.” http://1.usa.gov/1jixI16

SYRIA — OBAMA AND HOLLANDE AGREE ON ASSAD ROLE: Assad “may be part of the transition in Syria but not of the final solution,” tweeted Gérard Araud, the French ambassador to the U.S. http://bit.ly/1YsO9rv

REFUGEES BY THE NUMBERS: Dutch News analyzes payments to refugees by the Dutch government after claims by right-wing activists that refugees are freeloaders. It turns out that refugees can receive only up to €58 a week from the government, and if they work (there are restrictions) they can only keep 25 percent of their income (meaning they pay 75 percent tax to fund their government accommodation). http://bit.ly/1Nr8ifV

ENERGY — NO MONEY FOR NORD STREAM 2, THE GAS PROJECT DIVIDES EUROPE: European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič has told the European Parliament that Gazprom’s project to double the capacity of the Nord Stream gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea will not get any EU financing, going beyond earlier wording on the issues in the Commission’s State of the Energy Union report. Nord Stream is a source of major division between EU countries. My sources say that European Council President Donald Tusk privately worries that if Nord Stream isn’t killed, the EU might kill itself instead. The United States and Poland are also heavily opposed. If completed the project would give Gazprom around 60 percent of Germany’s gas market. http://politi.co/1MATQhD

CLIMATE CORNER … YOUR COP21 PREVIEW

POLES MAY SPOIL PARIS PARTY: “Poland’s new conservative government is threatening to veto a deal at the Paris climate summit, making clear its determination to protect the country’s large coal industry,” writes Andrew Kureth. http://politi.co/1Xe3Nd1

WE HEAR:

– The EU was furious at India for its lack of effort on climate issues at the recent G20 summit in Turkey.

– U.S. was furious at the China-France agreement earlier in the month, but the EU very happy.

– The EU’s first meetings on arrival in Paris will be the U.S., then the Cartagena group, then African Union.

INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC BODIES:

1. Hottest year ever (again). The UN’sWorld Meteorological Organization, will announce the details at 10 am in Geneva.

FORESTS AND RESTORATION: Indonesia caught world attention a few weeks ago when emissions from forest fires exceeded those of the entire U.S. economy. Look for a huge new restoration announcement from Africa (AFR100); finance commitments for restoration in Latin America on December 5-6, and a new climate tool from Global Forest Watch.

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP — Companies to try to bridge the gap to a 2°C world. Key issues in Paris will be carbon pricing, new corporate pledges, and “responsible” lobbying on climate change. Nearly 80 percent of the world’s 500 largest companies have made emissions reduction pledges, but they don’t all add up. Expect new science-based, independently verifiable corporate targets to be promoted in debate.

CITIES AND BUILDINGS: Look for cities to raise their collective voices on cutting emissions. 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050 — so the infrastructure investments made today mean locking us into a low-carbon pathway or higher emissions. 267 cities have committed to reduce emissions through the Compact of Mayors.

TAXI TRENDS IN BRUSSELS:
1) Illegal pick and choose: Playbook readers have reported, and I also experienced Tuesday, Brussels taxi drivers refusing to collect passengers, both arbitrarily and on the basis of where they wanted to go. This practice is illegal and the office of Pascal Smet, the Brussels Region minister for mobility, advises you to note the number of the taxi and lodge a complaint if you have the same experience. http://bit.ly/1jiwenp

2) Digital receipts: When you do find a taxi to drive you, they will now issue you with an electronically recorded receipt.

3) UberX drivers blocked: Drivers complain to Playbook they are being prevented from registering with Brussels authorities (some have waited nearly four months), and blocked from obtaining insurance by insurance companies. One driver explained that he could only operate in Brussels based on a Flanders-issued license which allows him to drop passengers in Brussels.

KEY LINE INFORMATION FOR BRUSSELS METRO TODAY:

– Line 1 between West Station and Montgomery only

– Line 2 fully operational

– Line 3 between Esplanade and Churchill, no stopping Bourse, Anneessens and Lemonnier

– Line 4 between North Station and Stalle, no stopping Bourse, Anneessens and Lemonnier

**A message from Aviva: COUNTDOWN TO #COP21: We need to act now to limit global temperature increases to within 2°C. This isn’t at odds with business or investment — it is a business imperative. Research from The Economist Intelligence Unit shows if global temperatures rise by an average of 6°C, the value at risk is an estimated USD 43 trillion of global assets. Want to know more?http://bit.ly/ValueAtRisk**